Hey all.

I posted a similar post in an old thread the other day, but it didn't seem to be getting any views, so I have made a new thread.

I was in Japan for 1.5 years on a Working Holiday Visa, and departed before I never received a Residency Tax letter in the mail and ofcourse, I surrendered my Gaijin card on departure. Now I am back here on a holiday visa (still at the same address) and I have just received it. Since I handed in my Gaijin card on departure, and DIDN'T put this address as my place of residence when I returned, wouldn't my city office assume that I am no longer here?

I am not really sure how it all works, but before leaving Japan I never went to the city office to tell them I was leaving, I just handed in my gaijin card when I departed. Does handing in the Gaijin card 'cancel' my reidential status, or are there no connections between the city offices and immigration?

Because the way I see it, if I was staying at the address I put on my embarkation card (different to where I am currently residing, and to where I was staying for the 1.5 years), I would have never seen the letter....

Please don't take this thread as an 'I don't want to pay my tax' thread, I am just wondering how it all works, and SHOULD I have gone to my city office before leaving Japan? I have checked their website, and there is nothing there to say I should have.

I am just wondering where I stand.

Thanks for the help!

Did you fill out a tax declaration on your earnings for the 12months you were in Japan prior to your departure?
If you did and if you paid the tax, then you are 'obliged' to pay the local tax as well.
By residency tax I'm assuming you mean local tax as opposed to income or national tax.

I hope someone more knowlegable about tax matters in Japan can jump in and tell you more.
I'm fortunate that my brother-in-law is a lawyer and "takes care of" my tax files for me.
Fortunate, that is, his doing the tax filing, not his being a lawyer.

Yes, my tax was automatically taken out of my wage by my company, and I did the tax return at the end of the finacial year.

You are also correct in assuming I meant local tax

Thanks for your advice, every little bit helps!

If there was a very short time gap between turning in the card and coming back on holiday, things might not have processed yet.